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President Joe Biden and his senior health officials have recommended a COVID-19 booster for all adults eight months after completing the first round of vaccination, starting in September.
This would mean a third dose for recipients of mRNA vaccines, including the Pfizer (PFE) / BioNTech (BNTX) and Moderna (MRNA) vaccines. The focus of administration is on the Pfizer vaccine, which recently published results showing increased protection from a booster dose.
The Delta variant has sparked growing concern nationwide as some states grapple with a spate of cases and hospitalizations, including groundbreaking cases. The announcement focuses specifically on the first recipients of the vaccine, including frontline health workers and the elderly.
“Based on our latest assessment, the current protection against serious illness, hospitalizations and death may wane in the coming months, especially among those who are at higher risk or were vaccinated in the early stages of the disease. rollout of immunization, ”health officials said in a joint statement.
Some experts have questioned Israel’s results and data showing similar support for boosters. But the CDC director said on Wednesday the announcement was in anticipation of data that the FDA and his own agency’s advisory committee will review before the Sept. 20 start date for boosters.
One group of vaccinated individuals has yet to be treated: recipients of the single injection vaccine from Johnson & Johnson (JNJ).
The company said it is investigating the potential need for boosters for people who are immunocompromised, which was recently cleared by the FDA and recommended by the CDC for mRNA vaccine recipients.
According to experts like Dr Leana Wen, the decision to authorize boosters is the right one.
“I’m really happy that the Biden administration has announced a recall strategy. Israel, the UK and other countries have already announced theirs, and it’s important that the US responds to emerging data as well,” Wen said.
“What I hope they will do in the future is to empower patients, in consultation with their doctors, to make the best choices for themselves. We are entering a stage of the pandemic where there are a lot of nuances and no one size fits all – all the answers. People need to consider their own medical situation, exposure and risk tolerance when it comes to booster doses, ”added Wen.
The medical and infectious disease community is divided over whether or not boosters are the right choice. The glaring inequality of vaccines around the world is worrying for some, while others believe this decision is premature.
“The administrator is scrambling to organize a big press conference on boosters,” said Dr. Walid Gellad, director of the Center for Pharmaceutical Policy and Prescription at the University of Pittsburgh.
“I don’t know why there is now pressure to talk about it when the FDA has not even evaluated the safety of such an approach or ACIP [the CDC advisory panel] did not assess, “Gellad said, adding,” The ‘Israeli data’ that we constantly hear about is not yet as compelling as people are suggesting. “
Some experts declined to comment on the announcement, citing a lack of data.
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